📖 Exodus 15:22–24
“So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter.”
“Faith, like muscle, grows strong through endurance.”
— A.W. Tozer
In 1873, a Christian lawyer and businessman named Horatio Gates Spafford from Chicago, USA, faced one of the darkest seasons imaginable.
Two years earlier, the Great Chicago Fire (1871) had destroyed much of his real estate business, leaving him financially strained. While recovering from the loss, tragedy struck again — his four-year-old son died of scarlet fever.
Seeking rest for his grieving family, Spafford planned a trip to Europe. He sent his wife Anna and their four daughters ahead on the steamship Ville du Havre, promising to join them later. But on November 22, 1873, the ship collided with another vessel in the Atlantic and sank in just 12 minutes. Over 200 people died — including all four of Spafford’s daughters.
Days later, Anna survived and sent a heartbreaking telegram from Wales:
“Saved alone.”
The Israelites had just seen God split the Red Sea — an unforgettable miracle. They sang songs of victory, rejoicing in God’s mighty hand. But only three days later, the sound of worship turned into murmuring. The same God who gave them victory now allowed them to walk into a wilderness with no water.
Imagine the scorching sun, parched lips, crying children, and disappointed hearts. Finally, they reached water — only to find it bitter. Their joy evaporated. Yet this was not abandonment; it was a test. God was teaching His people that victory on the mountaintop must be followed by faith in the valley.
He hadn’t stopped being their Deliverer — He was showing them that His provision goes beyond miracles of power; it reaches into moments of thirst, testing, and trust.
God’s leading can sometimes take us through dry places — not to harm us, but to train our hearts to trust Him even when blessings seem hidden.
God’s leading can sometimes take us through dry places — not to harm us, but to train our hearts to trust Him even when blessings seem hidden
End of the story:
As Spafford sailed across the ocean to meet his grieving wife, the captain called him to the deck and said, “This is the place where your daughters drowned.”
Standing on that deck — in the wilderness of unthinkable loss — Horatio felt a deep peace from God that surpassed his pain.
Right there, he penned the words that would later become one of the most beloved hymns in history:
“When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.”
What began as a bitter sea of sorrow became a stream of eternal comfort — a reminder that when our hearts pass through wilderness waters, God’s grace still makes it sweet.
There are times when we walk through “dry” seasons — unanswered prayers, delayed promises, and silent days when God seems distant. But through it all, we can learn that silence doesn’t mean absence. Like Israel, we often realize that the same God who opened the Red Sea is still guiding our steps in the desert.
When life feels barren, God is not punishing us; He is preparing us. Every wilderness season strengthens our faith and teaches us to depend on His Word rather than on our circumstances.
Prayer:
Father, help me to trust You when the path feels dry. Teach me to see Your purpose in my wilderness. Turn my bitter places into testimonies of Your grace. Amen.
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